Friday, July 17, 2015

Time to Man Up - Creating a Masculine Bedroom

This year is going to be a year of bedroom reshuffling for our family. My twin boys turned 13 and still share a bedroom. It has worked pretty well up until now but I think that the time has come for them to move into their own spaces. This means that they will need to move into the 2 slightly smaller bedrooms that my older 2 sons currently occupy, my middle son will move into the twins' bigger bedroom and my oldest son, who is in his final year of high school, will move into the downstairs guestroom which has its own dressing room and en suite bathroom. I'm already exhausted just thinking about it!

We have a slight problem though - my eldest son is somewhat reluctant to move into the guest room. - I think he is battling to see past the room's current decor which is somewhat feminine. He can't picture himself surrounded by toile and pretty china. And so he shouldn't...after all he is only 18. That is something he might have to put up with with when he is someone's husband one day. For now ... we will let him have a masculine space!

In my quest for inspiration to show my son how we could turn this room into a space that he (and I) could live with, I came across some masculine bedrooms that really appealed to me and I thought they might appeal to you too.

I am leaning toward a fairly neutral colour scheme of stone or grey, maybe with a touch of blue. Stripes are always a good option for a masculine space.

As this will be the room the he will occupy until he leaves home, I think more sophisticated than boyish is the way to go. If he lives away from home while at university, it would be useful to have a room that could double up as a guest room on occasion as well.

For curtains, I think the eyelet style has a strong, masculine feel and while I was thinking about a plain linen, the curtains below with the broad band of grey, look so great I might have to reconsider.

He will need a desk and while I would love something simple like the ones above and below...

....I think he is leaning toward something more "executive looking" like this..

..or this.

It would be nice to have a comfy chair and ottoman in the corner where he could relax and escape from his younger brothers. While I would love this leather version, I don't think my budget will stretch that far so perhaps linen or wicker will be the answer.

He will also need a place to store his books and files. I love these open shelves....

....but, while my son has many wonderful qualities, neatness is not one of them. It might be safer to go for a glass fronted or solid wooden cupboard instead.

Finally, a rug to give the room a warmer feel. Do I play safe and go for coir or seagrass or opt for a patterned version to make more of a statement?

So many decisions to make.....

The only thing that I have neglected to take into account and I know the question will be asked..... Where is my Chelsea flag going to go? Oy vey!!

Hi Sharon,We had 2 sons and it was always interesting to try to find a decor solution we could all agree on. I love some of your examples. Sounds like you'll be doing a lot of moving at home this year. :-)xo,Karen

I am drawn to a masculine room and you have some great choices here. I look forward to seeing what you do. Funny thing, my older son is a huge Chelsea fan. He'd love your flag! We live in the US and it's hard to find those.

Hi SharonI'm unsure if you've already received this message. I've tried looking for the bed in the photo #10 with no success. I'm not familiar with "Kind Design." Can you point me in the right direction? Thank you.

About Me

I am married with four sons. We live in beautiful Cape Town, South Africa. Interior decorating and design has been my passion for as long as I can remember. I am also an incurable Francophile, enjoy good food and fine wine (actually any wine is fine with me) and generally living well.